Sensei Strawberry
by InsertHilariousPenNameHere
Summary: 3 years after the events of the Fullbringer arc, Ichigo is travelling through a faulty Dangai and accidentally falls through a rift in time. He ends up in a strange place called Konohagakure, and is trained to become a jounin. Strays from storyline. AU.
1. Chapter 1

_**Sensei Strawberry**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or Naruto**

**This story is basically me, indulging in my fantasies. It will probably be poorly written, but I'm focussing on the plot here. It's a crossover fic that will edit the Narutoverse quite significantly. So yeah. Please review.**

Ichigo raced, panting, through the grey corridor that formed the Dangai. No matter how far he ran, he couldn't seem to find the exit, and the Kototsu was closing in, fast. He was reporting back to Soul Society on the recent Hollow defeats, when this happened. The Kotosu chasing him, and now no end to the Dangai. Next to him on the slate-grey walls, a rift formed, revealing a green and beautiful village. Ichigo stared at it, confused, and then it closed, smoke-like material closing over as if it was never there. He shook his head and looked behind himself. The Kototsu loomed over him, and Ichigo flash-stepped forward. His speed, however, was no match for the endless stamina of the Kototsu. Ichigo closed his eyes, concentrating on his spiritual energy.

His black kimono became completely dark, and black straps rippled across his chest. His sword compacted until it was slightly longer than the length of a regular katana, with three small spikes on the blunt edge, black as night. His lower forearms were laced with white ridges, and his robe lengthened, becoming a ragged Shihakusho. With his Reiatsu compacted, he raced forward, easily outrunning the Kototsu. A grey rift opened in the floor in front of him, and Ichigo tumbled through, unable to stop.

-/-

Ichigo rubbed his head. He felt _terrible_. Every bone in his body ached, and when he looked down, he realised that his right hand still clutched Tensa Zangetsu. He rubbed his head and yawned. He felt exhausted. With a sigh, he deactivated his Bankai.

Well, tried to. His Bankai didn't respond. There was no flicker of acknowledgement from Zangetsu, not even a sliver of consciousness. He tried again. Nothing. Again.

"What are you playing at, Tensa?" He asked angrily. "Are you angry? Annoyed? Sad? What is happening?"

Tensa ignored him, but Ichigo felt a flicker from within him. Ichigo gave a cry of annoyance and got to his feet. It didn't make sense. He could feel his Reiatsu, his Reiryoku, but something else as well. His spiritual pressure flowed from his soul, and something else was flowing from his muscles, his bones, and combining with his spiritual power, becoming something else. He couldn't identify it, but he knew he could separate the two by force of will.

For the first time, he studied his surroundings. He was standing in a small clearing in a forest. Around him, the trees had been cut down to stumps by an irregular blade. His blade. Oops.

Ichigo looked up as a low growling sound emanated from the dense shrubbery. A large wolf, easily chest height, stalked out of the undergrowth. It snarled, and Ichigo raised an eyebrow. He raised his Reiatsu to the point where the trees were quivering, and birds taking off from the trees. The wolf had collapsed, writhing and whining and whimpering on the ground. He lowered his Reiatsu until it was well below normal, and the wolf staggered to his feet. It stumbled weakly and cautiously, before it bowed low, intelligent respect quivering in every muscle. The creature looked up at him, fear and respect shining in its eyes. Ichigo shook his head and gestured to it.

The beast loped over to him and butted his torso. Ichigo looked down at it, confused, then shrugged and looked around. There was a sliver of light through the dense forest, and it had reflected off something... Ichigo started, excited. Only something like metal or glass would reflect that, which meant there were people in that direction!

Ichigo started forward, keeping to a light jog so that he wouldn't exhaust his energy.

-/-

The journey took longer than expected. It was nightfall by the time he reached the large set of gates and walls that represented a town. Ichigo took appraisal of them, and they looked like they had been built effectively. Ichigo sighed, peering inside and, after seeing no-one, sighed again. He would regret destroying something of such skilled craftsmanship. He looked back, and saw that the wolf was still there. He turned his gaze to the gates again. His Reiryoku techniques that allowed him to stand on air and jump far seemed to be evading him, and Tensa Zangetsu was still ignoring him.

Ichigo pulled back his fist, harnessing that strange combination of spiritual energy and physical energy. He pressured it all into his hand, and thrust it at the gates. His fist glowed silvery-grey, and as his fist connected with the steel, it shattered. Just like that. There wasn't even any resistance. His momentum pulled him forwards several metres. When he managed to recover, he saw people emerging, grumbling from various buildings and tents.

Once they saw the devastation he had caused, there was a mass of gasps and cries. When the wolf reappeared at his side, and Ichigo ran a hand down his back, Some people actually retreated in fear.

"Erm... Hi." He said tentatively. Then he collapsed.

-/-

It was a little while later when Ichigo awoke, because he could see the sun rising in the horizon. The person standing above him was saying something to another, older man. As his hearing floated back to him, Ichigo heard the person – whom looked somewhat like a field nurse – ending their sentence with: "... depleted his chakra reserves, sir." The old man nodded, and the field nurse left.

The old man peered down at him. "Now," he said. "Who the hell are you and where have you come from."

Ichigo sat up, groaning, and began to talk. At first he lied, while trying to glean as much information as possible. But the old man ignored him and, after a while, Ichigo told him the truth. Soul Society, Shinigami, Hollows, even Aizen and the Full-bringers. The old man was silent throughout. When Ichigo was finished, however, he began to tell Ichigo about the Shinobi villages, the Nations, ninja, and chakra. When the old man, who had revealed himself as Hiruzen Sarutobi, and leader of the village, finished, they both sat there. Ichigo had been shocked into silence, while the Hokage's quietness was contemplative.

Ichigo shook himself. It was three years after the Full-bringer situation, and nothing eventful had happened during that time. At twenty, Ichigo had been enjoying the somewhat steadiness and calm friendship of his life, and now this had happened.

Ichigo asked what had happened to his wolf companion, and the Hokage told him that it had been returned to the forest. Ichigo expressed disappointment, but he realised that it would be better off in it's natural habitat.

The Hokage regarded Ichigo quietly. There was something about the orange-haired boy that reminded him of himself, or perhaps a combination of the three Sannin. Orochimaru's cunning, intelligence, and power; Jiraiya's calm, collected yet jokey attitude, and Tsunade's kindness and sense of responsibility.

"Kurosaki Ichigo," He said, preparing himself for what could potentially turn out to be a bad decision. But after much contemplation, and realising the fact that they were low on Shinobi, he had to decide. The orange-haired boy looked up. "How would you like to be a jounin?"

Ichigo frowned, and Sarutobi set about explaining the concept of jounin to him.

-/-

A week had passed, and Ichigo had been through over twenty different tests of speed, stamina, strength and various other ninja skills. He was still a beginner with genjutsu, about chunin level with ninjutsu, and his taijutsu was apparently nearly as good as 'Maito Gai's'. But, Sarutobi had told him, he still had to do one more thing to become a jounin.

He had to defeat a jounin to become one.

He had expressed confidence in his skills, as long he was allowed to use Shinigami techniques as well. The Hokage had allowed him to, after much deliberation.

These days, the other villagers regarded him with guarded curiosity, though some ridiculous rumours had spread, from him being the next Hokage, to him planning a takeover of all the Shinobi Nations.

That was another thing he couldn't understand. All of the villagers could see him, even though he was supposed to be invisible through his Soul Reaper abilities. He thought that maybe this physical energy had fused with his Reiryoku, and given him a physical manifestation. But that was confusing, so Ichigo tried not to think about it.

It was two weeks after his arrival at Konohagakure when his opponent had been verified. Someone called 'Hatake Kakashi'. Apparently he was famously known as 'Copy Ninja Kakashi'. If that meant he could copy Ichigo's movements, he had better come up with a plan.

Ichigo spent the final week preparing for his battle. He reviewed his techniques, though he doubted he would need the more severe ones against this 'Kakashi' person.

-/-

Ichigo took a slow breath, his nerves jangling. He realised that he probably shouldn't be this worried, but _everyone _had been whispering about this battle behind his back, and the grey-haired ninja didn't seem at all worried.

The battlefield was on a large area of ground next to a lake. Ichigo kept panicking, going over the two techniques Sarutobi had taught him – Kage Bunshin and Henge. Shadow clone and Transformation. His Shadow Clone technique was apparently above average, though his Henge was terrible. What good the two techniques would do, he wasn't completely sure, but Sarutobi had remarked that he might need them.

Ichigo looked down at his ragged Shihakusho. He still couldn't remove his Bankai, though he managed to utilise his Full-Bring and Hollowfication powers. Maybe if he tried to-

"The match between Hatake Kakashi and Kurosaki Ichigo will now begin!" A man yelled from a large stage at the rim of the battlefield. When Ichigo peeked out of his tent, he could see that a _huge _crowd had gathered to watch him fight Kakashi.

"Will both fighter's please enter the battlefield!" Ichigo walked out, calm, collected, and prepared. He looked around to see if he could find Kakashi, but there was no-one there. The announcer repeated his statement twice more before a bored-looking Kakashi entered the battlefield.

"Sorry," he drawled. "I saw a crack on the road and I had cleanse myself after I accidentally stepped on it."

Ichigo shook his head at such a ridiculous statement. Then, he walked over to the other side of the battlefield and drew his sword, Tensa Zangetsu. The battle would soon begin.

**Well, that ends Chapter 1. Before I go, I just wanted to state a theory on chakra versus Reiryoku. In the Narutoverse, chakra is stated to be a combination of physical and spiritual energy, and since Shinobi are only called on to fight physical things, their chakra is effective. Yet Reiryoku cannot affect physical things except in the form of Reiatsu, and therefore it is not diluted by physical energy. But, if ninja can use spiritual energy, then Shinigami techniques should be able to affect them. Since Ichigo can use both spiritual and physical energy, and separate them, his chakra and Reiryoku are both increased. But chakra, since the physical energy limits it to only affecting physical manifestations, wouldn't affect spiritual bodies. As stated in the chapter, Ichigo's newfound chakra has given him a physical body. If you disagree with any of my views, then state good reasons and my opinion might change. Well, that puts an end to my 150+ words Author's note, so please review!**

**And if you want to see Ichigo's Bankai appearance, please go **here.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Sensei Strawberry**_

**For any with questions concerning Ichigo's abilities, all will be answered in this most prestigious of chapters – the Legendary Ichigo VS Kakashi!**

**Chapter 2**

Ichigo glared over at Kakashi. He'd been here all of five minutes, and his attitude was really pissing him off. The way he wasn't even paying attention to Ichigo's movements made him think that this 'Kakashi' didn't deserve to be a jounin of such high regard. He shook his head in shock and resumed staring at him.

Kakashi reached behind his back. Ichigo tensed, prepared for him to show a powerful weapon or intense 'jutsu', and narrowed his eyes as he pulled something out from his belt. The man held up a short blade-type thing with a hole in the end. Ichigo raised an eyebrow, and the silver-haired jounin threw it at him.

It was an incredibly lazy throw, and the orange-haired Shinigami watched as it sailed past his head, missing by several metres. He turned just in time to see two more knives flying straight towards his face. He dodged the first one with his impressive speed, and the second he deflected with the edge of his blade.

Sparks dotted the ground, and Ichigo raised an eyebrow. Kakashi crouched and held up one hand. "Might as well finish this nice and quick," Ichigo heard him mutter. He watched in amusement as a sparking, bright blue sphere appeared in the man's hand. Lightning crackled from it, and Kakashi leapt forward, racing towards him.

Ichigo waltzed around the silver-haired idiot, his augmented speed making it seem like he had _teleported _to the other side of the field. The crowd _ooh_ed and _aah_ed in surprise and amusement as Kakashi's pointless attack hit the ground and sputtered out. As the jounin rose, Ichigo levelled his sword at the man's face.

"Is that all you've got?" Ichigo gloated. "Is that the fastest you can move? Honestly, that's pathetic."

Kakashi glared at him angrily, and Ichigo saw his hands dance in fevered way. Then, he disappeared. At least, that's what it had looked like to the crowd. But Ichigo had realised it was merely a technique that speeded you up. His own hyper-speed movements tracked the man towards a tree at the very edge of the arena.

Ichigo ran forwards. To Kakashi's eyes, it must have looked like he had disappeared and reappeared directly behind him. "The funny thing is, this isn't the fastest I can go." He taunted in Kakashi's ear. Calmly, he swept his blade through Kakashi's arm.

The clone disappeared in a puff of smoke. Ichigo cursed and looked around. He dropped from the tree, and, just in time, spotted two Kakashi's running towards him, an electrical line connecting them by the hand. Ichigo held up his sword, and the lighting connected with the blade. The current disappeared, but not before the electricity and been discharged through his body.

The orange-haired boy was thrown away, smoking. Kakashi was standing, alone now, and Ichigo, saw him once again perform several hand-seals. This time, his body was enveloped in lightning and current flickered out in front of him. Ichigo watched in amazement as a wolf-like beast was formed in the lightning and it ran towards him.

Ichigo combat rolled out of the way. He had realized his past mistake and stood still. "I didn't think that I'd have to pull out this technique on such a weak enemy. But, not everything goes according to pan, I suppose." He muttered to himself, then held up his sword. Black energy crackled around the blade, and as he swept it in a diagonal slash, he gave a cry: "Getsuga... TENSHO!"

An obsidian, crescent ray with crimson outlines erupted from Zangetsu, and flew towards Kakashi. The jounin pulled out of his jutsu just in time for the energy to slice through his lower body, cutting off his legs and groin. A blood-curdling scream rang out across the battlefield, and Ichigo lowered his sword. As the announcer called out in a shaky voice the winner, Ichigo felt a flicker from Zangetsu.

"_**Finally, a battle." **_He heard Tensa whisper in his mind. _**"And we won. I am glad that he was powerful enough for you to pull out Getsuga Tensho on him. I was getting bored of so many low-rank Hollows. Maybe this world can satiate my lust for combat..."**_

Ichigo shivered. Tensa had always freaked the crap out of him, and he was glad when he felt his Bankai fade, replaced with his huge, elegant meat-cleaver. Ichigo smiled in appreciation, wrapped the cloth around the blade, and tied it to his back. He looked up.

Kakashi was already gone, medic ninja carrying him off to the hospital for treatment. The crowd sat there in stunned silence. One of their best shinobi had just been hospitalized from one strike. From a _samurai_. From an unknown, unrecognized samurai. What was this, a joke?

The various civilians left, until Ichigo could see men with various different, curiously patterned masks on, observing him with distaste. There were also several unmasked ninja, and as stalked over to the Hokage, three of them intercepted him. There was a woman and two men, and the thing he noticed first was one of the men's _hideous _green jumpsuit and bowl cut.

The woman had shoulder-length, untamed black hair and dark red eyes, which he noticed staring at him in an intense, unsettling manner. The other man was smoking, had spiky black hair and a beard, and glared at him almost angrily.

He stopped several metres away from them, his hand already reaching up to Zangetsu. The woman, however held out her arms in a peaceful way, albeit in a slightly unfriendly way. He removed his hand from Zangetsu. They stood in a stand-off for several seconds, until the man in the green jumpsuit said, "So, someone finally beat Kakashi other than myself. I wish you luck in your future ventures." Ichigo blinked at the statement, and then again when the man spun around and trailed after the medics.

"He didn't mean to be rude," the woman said. "But he and Kakashi are… friends, after manner, and to see him so easily torn down probably wasn't easy on him."

Ichigo was suddenly aware how callous he had been, although he didn't show it. He would show no weakness to these people, no matter what kindnesses they had given him.

"I am Yuhi Kurenai." The woman introduced herself, cutting Ichigo out of his thoughts. "This is Asuma Sarutobi, and the man in the green jumpsuit was Maito Gai. And…" She paused. "Congratulations on becoming a jonin."

Ichigo inclined his head to her. Asuma grunted. "I suppose I could congratulate you, but I can't seem to find anything but hatred for you."

Kurenai gasped, and Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Asuma-san!" Kurenai growled. "Remember that the Hokage specially commissioned him to become a jonin! He is important!"

_He must be the Hokages son_, Ichigo mused, observing the man's reaction to the reiteration of the Hokage's orders. Asuma snorted, and walked after Maito Gai and Kakashi.

"I apologise for the reactions of my fellow jonin." Kurenai said stiffly. She bowed her head, and there was an awkward silence.

Ichigo nodded. "Anyway, can I go to the Hokage now?" He asked impatiently. Kurenai gestured for him to go right ahead, and stepped out of his way. Ichigo rolled his eyes and gave a mock 'thank God' pose, accompanied with a quick grin to show he didn't mean it, then walked purposefully towards the Hokage. He stopped calmly three feet away from the most powerful person in this village.

"I won." He said shortly. The Hokage nodded. "So I get to become a jounin." Another nod. "I assume that I'll receive tutoring for the proper ninjutsu, genjutsu and taijutsu training exercises." _Another _nod. "Where will I be staying?" The damn Hokage would have to answer him now.

"You will be staying in a small apartment directly south-west of here. It's directly to the right of a ramen stand, Ichiraku's I believe. It's part time only, but you'll have to deal with it for now."

Ichigo nodded his thanks as the man passed him a crudely drawn map. Ichigo studied it for a moment, nodded, then bowed.

-/-

It took him under ten minutes to find his apartment. He'd moved in, but there wasn't much to move – so he just locked the door and left. He'd enjoyed a meal at Ichiraku's, and he'd met a boy there.

"Thank you, Teuchi!" The yellow-haired boy proclaimed loudly, slurping his ramen down vigorously. Ichigo was watching on, his pork ramen being carefully lifted into his mouth un-practiced chopstick movements, and the boy in the orange jumpsuit was _veeeeeery _interesting.

"So you're a training to become a genin, right?" He asked after learning the boy's name.

"Uh-huh. I'm gonna become the strongest ninja ever, then become Hokage so that everyone will acknowledge me!"

"I see... So how are you going to become the greatest ninja ever?"

"Well... I'm gonna train hard and learn lot's of awesome jutsu! Then I'll become an amazing ninja and Sakura will go on a date with me-" The boy cut off his sentence and Ichigo chuckled.

"So you've got a crush and you're only twelve? Thirteen? Boy, I didn't start thinking about girls 'til I was fifteen."

"Really? You're weird."

"Hey! Watch it kid, I'm a jounin. If you pass your test or whatever then you might get me as your teacher, and _then _we'll see who can beat who."

The boy paled, but Ichigo had already swept off to find his instructors, eager to start his training.

-/-

Ichigo sighed. It was one day till the genin tests, and Ichigo had been cramming like hell to understand and be able to use all the jutsu and tools that he had available. His small apartment was now packed to the brim with scrolls, seals, wires, kunai, shuriken, history books, ninjutsu books, genjutsu books, taijutsu books- you name it, he had it.

Ichigo had learned a lot. His most interesting discovery, though, was that Naruto, the innocent and flashy boy he'd met two weeks ago, was the container of the most feared demon in all of the Shinobi nations – the Kyuubi.

Having gone to numerous meetings in the jounin lounge, he realised that the genin teams had _somehow _been pre-picked, but that there were several different combinations depending on whether certain people passed.

Ichigo's first team consisted of Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke (The Last Uchiha, their whole family having been wiped out by his own brother, Ichigo was surprised to learn), and Uzumaki Naruto.

His second combination was Inuzuka Kiba, Uchiha Sasuke, and Tenten. His third combination was Uchiha Sasuke (AGAIN), Aburame Shino, and Hyuuga HInata. Ichigo was surprised to learn that the Uchiha had no bets against him becoming a genin, and Ichigo was also surprised to learn that Naruto was only in one combination.

He had wondered what would happen if Haruno were to fail, but that was dismissed. She had the some of the highest academy grades of the year, and her practical grades weren't bad either.

Ichigo, though tense with excitement, was forced to wait for the graduation day, so retired to his apartment. If he had known what was in store for him tomorrow, he would have prepared much more...

**End Chapter 2.**

**Wow, this story has been getting loads more Faves, reviews, and C2s than I'd expected. I only expected this to be a detour from my other story cuz it wasn't very popular, but it's turning into something bigger and better than ever before! Thanks for all the support, and you shall see the results of the genin exams in the next chapter.**

**Quick question: What should Ichigo's chakra nature be? I was stuck between lightning and fire, but they're both so overdone... So what do you think? Just review and you can change my mind.**

**EDIT 26/03/13: Changed the reactions of the other jonin to Kakashi's defeat.**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Sensei Strawberry**_

**I got a bunch of really positive reviews, so I just want to say thanks. I thought that this would go along as one of those unnoticed, unrecognised fanfics – but I've already got so many favs, alerts and reviews that it's incredible. **

**Anyway. I doubt this will go on past the time-skip, but it depends on the reviews. I've really planned any of this at all. Anyway. Sorry for the long wait, I was struck by the lightning bolt of inspiration for not one, but two stories! They should come up in a bit.**

**Chapter 3**

Ichigo woke up with a throbbing head ache. He'd gone to bed completely fine, then woken up in the middle of the night. With nothing to do, he'd studied up on elemental chakra, and discovered two very important things. A), he had two chakra natures, wind and lightning – and b), they were both black as a Getsuga Tensho.

That is to say, when he used any ability that involved either of those natures – they were black. He felt sure that this had something to do with his Reiki, like Zangetsu, Tensa Zangetsu, and Getsuga Tensho all being black. So he had stayed up all night, past four in the morning, practising all the lightning and wind jutsu he could find.

But the next morning, he had decided. After a _lo-o-ong _lecture from Hiruzen in the previous week about the 'dangers of being a shinobi', and how he should 'teach him all the dirty tricks he could', he had decided that if they had residual Reiki (because of course, chakra only formed when the physical and spiritual energy were in equal amounts, so there was going to be some leftover of one or the other), then he would give them abilities as a Shinigami.

He'd already reviewed possible things he could teach them. After stabilising their Shinigami conditions, he'd start on chakra control exercises. After all, what was the point of knowing techniques if he couldn't use them? Maybe he'd teach them Body Flicker as one of their basic techniques...

Anyway, the cause of Ichigo's rude awakening was the pale orb that the Hokage had given him. By channelling chakra through the reflective surface, the person with an orb of the same source be able to see each other. As Hiruzen's face wafted into vision, Ichigo pulled on his black kimono and belt.

"Kurosaki-kun," said the worried voice on the other end of the line. "Naruto has stolen the Scroll of Forbidden Seals! I suspect that he has been influenced by someone else, possibly an enemy ninja... I understand that you have an ability called 'Flash Step', I need you to use this to find Naruto!"

"I understand Hokage-sama." Ichigo nodded calmly then placed the orb in the folds of his kimono. He walked into the road, noted the time, then Flash-stepped to the Academy. Then the Hokage's Tower. Then Ichiraku's. And finally, the Forest of Death. He remembered this was where he had made his wolfish friend. He raised his Reiatsu slightly, and after several seconds, the wolf padded out into the clearing. Ichigo, hoping that the wolf would understand him, described Naruto and his scent – what the Hollow inside him could remember at least.

The wolf sniffed the ground, then gestured with his head and loped off. Ichigo followed at a leisurely pace, with the wolf sniffing the dirty floor as they moved along. Eventually the wolf turned into a large clearing. Ichigo stepped into the bushes, and was shocked at what he saw. Thousands upon thousands of Naruto's, surrounding one white-haired man.

"What the hell is going on here!" He thundered. All of the Naruto's, the white-haired man, and Iruka Umino, one of the chuunin teaching at the academy, turned to face him.

"Kurosaki-sensei!" Ichigo held back a snort at the honorific that Naruto had used. "It's Mizuki, he's a traitor! He used me to get the Scroll of Forbidden Seals, and he was going to kill me and Iruka-sensei!"

"Now now, let's not be too hasty here-" The man's words died in his throat. Ichigo had already unsheathed his sword and sliced the man straight down the middle. The two halves dropped to the ground, and his guts spilt out across the forest floor.

Ichigo looked up. Naruto was holding the thousands of Kage Bunshin like it was nothing. The Hokage, when he had taught him the S-rank technique, told him that one of the most necessary things was a large chakra reserve. Ichigo had that, but obviously not as much as Uzumaki Naruto. The orange-haired boy had managed several hundred, his tutor had managed five, but Naruto was holding thousands as if it were nothing. Ichigo was impressed.

The young boy ended the jutsu and jumped out from behind a tree. "Now have I passed, Iruka-sensei?" Naruto said, purposefully not looking at the remains of the man, and the wolf that had emerged to scavenge. Ichigo laughed at the remark.

"Passed? You just pulled off an S-rank technique, and an excessively powerful version, and still managed to stay conscious? I'd say you've passed, Naruto, wouldn't you, Iruka?"

Iruka had always struck him as a reasonable, sensible man. A perfect teacher, but also a good friend. "Yeah, I agree with Kurosaki-sama. You've passed, Naruto." With that, he passed his forehead-protector to the blonde, and they both shook with tearful happiness.

-/-

Ichigo woke up the next day with a smile on his face, remembering the events of the past day. They'd taken Iruka to the hospital for the huge amount of wounds and blood loss, and Naruto for several bruises and cuts. It had been made evident that no one wanted to treat the demon fox when they were left in the waiting-room for over and hour, despite the fact that there was no one else there.

Eventually Ichigo had stormed into the operating theatre, and found several surgeons sitting with their feet up on the bed, smoking cigarettes. Iruka lay unconscious on the table, completely healed.

"Right." Ichigo growled in a dangerous whisper. "There is a young child out there who needs to be treated for various cuts and wounds. You are sitting here smoking, proving that you're unfit to be medics. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you right now."

"He's the container of the nine-tailed demon!" One of the cockier medics called out. "There's your reason, you bastard!"

Ichigo moved silently, but the killing intent paralysed the men and women in the room. "I said good reason, asshole." The man stared silently at his stump of a hand for a moment, then screamed and collapsed to the floor.

Naruto ran in, wild-eyed at the noise he'd heard. "Kurosaki-sensei, what's going on?" Ichigo grabbed the boy and presented him to the chief medic, and when he recoiled, cut off his forearm. "You're medics, so treat you wounded and get a nurse for this boy!"

He yelled, and as the echo faded away, the silence deafened everyone. Then the room became a flurry of activity, and Ichigo felt a medic sidle up to him and check him over. He waved the man away.

It wasn't long after that that Naruto was returned to him, with Iruka, both in pretty-close-to-pristine-but-not-quite shape. After that, the three of them had gone to Ichiraku's Ramen, and Ichigo had had miso, and then he remembered the jounin meeting.

"Shit," He muttered under his breath, tossing a few yen down to the table and Flash-Stepping over to the jounin headquarters. Once there he rushed in and sat down in his usual chair, flustered and panting. A few of the others gave him odd looks, but he was otherwise ignored.

"And now we announce the genin teams." The jounin at the centre of the room called out. "With Maito Gai, we have Neji Hyuuga, Tenten, and Rock Lee."

The green spandex-clad man gave a cheer and raced out crying nonsense over the Power of Youth. The announcer blinked, then returned to his list. "With Asuma Sarutobi, we have Shikamaru Nara, Chouji Akimichi, and Ino Yamanaka."

The son of the Hokage nodded, and left. "With Kurenai Yuuhi, we have Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuuga, and Shino Aburame."

Kurenai gave Ichigo a wry smile. The two had become close friends over the past few weeks, and Ichigo was looking forwards to working with her.

"With Ichigo Kurosaki, we have Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, and Naruto Uzumaki." There was some muttering at the last name, but Ichigo silenced them with a death glare, then swept out, his kimono creating long shadows behind him.

-/-

Ichigo often lay in bed at night, thinking of his sisters, Yuzu and Karin. He wondered if they were worried, or angry, or sad, or whatever else. His father must be going insane with fury, having no-one to give a kick in the face to every morning. How long had it taken for them to notice that something was wrong?

How long before his friends noticed anything was wrong? Chad, Orihime, and (goddamnit) the Quincy? What about Rukia? Had she noticed yet? Sure, they didn't talk much these days, but still...

The worries kept him up and night, and he couldn't help but think that they hadn't bothered to research his death. He was travelling through the Dangai, he fell or tripped or was held up in some way or another, and the Kototsu caught him.

Simple as.

The reality of course, was very different.

-/-

Rukia stormed up to her brother, angrily shoving several pages of reports in his face. Her brother calmly took them, placed them at the top of a large pile, and continued working on a large pile of paperwork.

"Byakuya-neesama!" Rukia cried indignantly. She'd grown up over the course of three years, and was now able to challenge her brother instead of meekly obeying him. "That's another fourteen Shinigami that haven't come back after going to the human world! There's got to be a connection Kurosaki-san's death!"

Byakuya fixed her with a cold stare. Rukia shivered. Even though she could resist him most of the time, he still scared. But she held his gaze for as long as she could – and, surprisingly, Byakuya pulled away first.

"Very well, I shall put some research into it." Rukia silently rejoiced. "But! Don't be surprised when nothing comes out if it."

Rukia doubted that there would be no results, but she didn't voice her opinion.

-/-

It was another few days until he would meet his team, and in the meantime the Hokage had taken Ichigo to Naruto's apartment. It was dank, dingy, and the milk had gone off a long time ago. Ichigo looked up, and his cold gaze met the Hokage's.

"Look after Naruto." The old man said gruffly. He paused. "And don't forget, you're also in charge of THAT Uchiha."

Ichigo nodded. They didn't need to say anything else.

-/-

When Ichigo finally arrived, he saw Naruto jamming a blackboard eraser into the top of the sliding door. He raised an eyebrow. How to look good in front of the new genin... Simple.

He waited a few moments then opened the door. He turned over one hand, and the rubber dropped harmlessly into it. He placed it carefully on the blackboard edge. The he folded his arms. He raised an eyebrow. Ichigo liked doing that.

Naruto's eyes had lit up, Sasuke was staring at him intently, and Sakura was looking on with her jaw open.

"Kurosaki-sensei!" The blonde boy called out. "You're finally here!"

"Kurosaki-sensei, it is good to meet you." The girl with the large forehead said respectfully. Ichigo nodded to them. He turned his eyes to Sasuke, and waited. The boy grunted. Naruto rounded angrily on him.

"Hey! Don't ignore Kurosaki-sensei! He's a jounin!" Naruto cried out angrily. Sakura looked torn between berating Sasuke for ignoring her sensei and defending Sasuke against Naruto.

Ichigo hung his head. "Okay, everyone, to the roof, and we'll see what kind of ninja you are."

He Body-Switched to the roof, replacing a lump of gravel that dropped to the floor of the classroom with a CLACK. When he got up there, he focussed. With Kurenai as his illusion's mistress (They'd become close over Ichigo's stay in Konoha), and he'd become a surprisingly skilful Genjutsu master over that time.

With that in mind, he focussed on the image of a Hollow. He brought it into being but for the moment made it invisible. Just a surprise for the possible genin. Then he sat down with Zangetsu in his lap, and closed his eyes. He waited.

After a few moments, he heard Naruto thunder onto the roof. He was followed by a meek Sakura, with Sasuke trailing behind. The three looked around for a moment before spotting him. Then they walked over and sat quietly in front of him. Well, Sasuke and Sakura did.

Naruto jumped right up to him bouncing around excitedly. "Kurosaki-sensei, hey, Kurosaki-sensei, whatch do-"

"Shut up," he said quietly, "and sit down."

Naruto obeyed. The three graduates sat quietly for another few minutes, though Naruto kept shifting around uncomfortably. Then Ichigo opened his eyes, and leaned back.

"Sakura Haruno, Sasuke Uchiha, and Naruto Uzumaki." He said quietly, letting the words roll of his tongue. "I wonder what kind of people you are."

Naruto opened his mouth to yell out, but Ichigo interrupted him. "Sakura Haruno. Infatuated with one Sasuke Uchiha, and rather disdainful of one Naruto Uzumaki. High theory and test work, with average practical scores. Childhood rivals with Ino Yamanaka. Comes from a family of civilians. Has a split personality."

Sakura gaped, but Ichigo continued. "Sasuke Uchiha. The Last Uchiha, all the rest having been killed by his brother, Itachi. High theory, test, and practical work. Sole aim in life is to kill his brother, and doesn't form any sort of relationship with anyone in case they 'get in his way'."

Sasuke gave him a cold look then turned away. Sakura continued to gape, and Naruto's eyes were bugging. "Naruto Uzumaki. Infatuated with one Sakura Haruno, and aims to be rival of one Sasuke Uchiha. Family killed in the Kyuubi attack, and hated by the village. Performs pranks in order to attract people's attention and get the village to acknowledge him, and wishes to become Hokage. Low test and theory work, with varying practical work. Surprisingly skilful in jounin-level Kage Bunshin technique."

All three were now staring at him. "I just wanted to let you know that I know everything about you. And I will not tolerate disobedience. Neither will I have a split team. You all seem to hate at least one person in your team and that needs to be rectified."

He made the illusion of the Hollow roar and thunder into existence, though only the four of them could see it. "I took the liberty of capturing a monster from the forest and bringing it here. There is only one way to defeat it."

That way was teamwork, and as the three graduates bounded over the building, Ichigo thought back to his visits to Kakashi. The man was obviously a genius, and he had informed Ichigo that his Sharingan had been active throughout. Yet he still hadn't been able to copy any of the orange-haired boy's techniques.

The man was a pervert, but he made it quite clear that the key to controlling Team Seven was just that; teamwork. The two had become friends, and he had even taught him the Chidori, along with a couple of other techniques and how to better control them.

Ichigo looked back up to see Team Seven being continually confused. They hadn't yet realised that it was an illusion. After all, pain was an illusion of the senses and Ichigo's mastery of wind techniques in conjunction of this, caused a very realistic apparition.

He finally sighed, and dispelled the illusion. He Body-Switched down to them, shaking his head. "Sakura, you focussed on providing Sasuke with support by throwing kunai. You completely ignored Naruto, despite the fact that he was right in close. Sasuke, you focused on mid- to long-range combat, though with your fireball techniques being closer to the enemy would be much more useful. You ignored both Sakura and Naruto. Naruto, you worked well in teamwork – with yourself. Multiple Shadow Clones was a good idea, but if you had made a few hang back and use long-range techniques, it would have been much more effective. And, you completely ignored Sasuke, instead focussing on Sakura."

He shook his head. "Alright, you're done for the day. Back home now."

He Body-Switched to his apartment, leaving a biro on the grass. The three graduates stared at it for a moment, then returned home.

-/-

"Hokage-sama," Ichigo began respectfully. "I would like to ask a question."

The Hokage raised an eyebrow and motioned for Ichigo to continue. "I... I was talking with Kakashi-san earlier, and he told me that he wasn't able to copy the technique with his Sharingan. He went on to say that that usually meant it was some sort of clan technique or bloodline limit, so..." He hesitated.

Hiruzen finished the sentence for him. "You were wondering if that meant you could start up a clan of your own."

Ichigo inclined his head, tensing for rejection.

"Okay." Ichigo looked up, surprised, but the Hokage waved his hand. "Although it would be foolish of an old man to grant a newcomer such power, you've proved yourself more than capable. Plus..." This time it was the old man that hesitated. Ichigo frowned.

"... We were monitoring your sleep patterns with a Sensor-nin and he confirmed everything you said, and that you were now loyal to Konohagakure."

Ichigo's eyes widened. They could do that? He'd have to monitor his own thoughts then, especially around Kurenai-san... He fought off a blush. "Very well. But you make it sound as if there is a problem."

The Hokage cleared his throat. "Yes. To prove your strength and worthiness, I would like you to fight Hiashi Hyuuga, of the Hyuuga clan. If you beat him, clan privileges will be granted, and I'll sleep easier knowing that the arrogant bastard's been taken off his pedestal as head of the greatest clan in Konoha."

Ichigo smiled, and the Hokage dismissed him, distracted by his own thoughts. He returned to his apartment.

**End Chapter 3**

**I completely made up that thing about Sensor-nin detecting people's thoughts. And yes, Ichigo's been having naughty thoughts about Kurenai. An old friend called in a favour through PM and I could refuse. Oh, well. Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, Next chapter will be Ichigo against Hiashi. PLUS, New story coming up. Check it out in the Upcoming Stories section on my Bio. It's called - Kekkei Genkai: The Uzumak-eye.**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Sensei Strawberry**_

**Thanks for the reviews, especially for the newest one, the Kekkei Genkai. Anyway, I want to get something clear. I was inundated by PMs from SEVERAL people about romance, so I want this to be clear: I DO NOT WRITE ROMANCE. 1) because I'm crap at it, and 2), because my own attempts sicken me. Hopefully that'll shut up the rumour mill, and we can get on with the story.**

**Chapter 4**

Ichigo finally perfected the glaive, and stood back to admire his handiwork. The old Fullbring abilities were still there – he could now fully transform his 'Substitute Shinigami' badge into a glaive with Reiatsu blades. Of course, they were infused with wind and lightning to give that killer edge, but in essence, it was his Fullbringer's blade. To have the old thing was a comfort. The more weapons you have, the more strength you have – and that was always useful.

Slotting the badge into his bandolier, Ichigo yawned. It was early in the morning and he'd been working all night. He should get some rest; his battle with Hiashi was at noon. With a rather absentminded discarding of his clothes, he fell into the bed, and slept peacefully.

-/-

BANGBANGBANGBANG. BANGBANGBANGBANG. BANGBANG-

"WHAT!" Ichigo yelled as he pulled on the last vestiges of his clothes and yanked open the door, cutting of the rapid hammering. All he saw was the full-force fist of an angry Kurenai soaring towards his face and then he was lying on the floor, decked by Yuuhi's fury. Her worried face leaned over him, and he clambered to his feet.

"Uhh... What happened...?" He murmured woozily. Glancing over Kurenai as she began to talk, he noticed his alarm clock. The numbers read 12:39. Shit, he was late. Muttering his goodbyes to Yuuhi, he Flash-Stepped out of his house, knowing that Kurenai wouldn't steal anything. Of value. That she could see. Probably.

The clearing was the same one where he'd fought Kakashi. He distinctly remembered the lake and the trees and the wide ground at the centre of it all. Besides, the scars in the ground were still fresh, and someone had erected a plaque that said: _'Here Kurosaki Ichigo fought Hatake Kakashi and won.'_

Rather strange, he thought, but he was here to fight Hiashi Hyuuga, not ponder over the remains of his last battle. Speak of the devil, the man himself was there, staring straight at him with cold eyes. He shivered. They were a little too intense.

He focussed, and took up a battle stance, watching as Hiashi did the same. They stood still for a long time, and he could see the look of confusion on his opponent's face; clearly wondering why his arm wasn't getting tired. He smiled – Hiashi didn't know that the sword weighed almost nothing in his hands.

He watched the man wait for another few minutes, then got bored and charged. He held the giant cleaver low by his side, and he as he neared the Hyuuga head, he brought it up in a wide slash. Hiashi easily ducked, but Ichigo let the momentum carry his leg forward and attempted to roundhouse him in the face.

The man raised a relaxed hand to block, then seized his calf and jabbed it with his left hand. The touch was light, but Ichigo felt the chakra points in his leg block up. He frowned and _shunpoed _away from him. He raised his sword again and charged, swinging the sword down in another powerful attack. Hiashi took a step back, and the sword punched a hole in the ground, flipping Kurosaki up and over the hilt.

Ichigo, again, used his momentum to turn the flip into an axe kick, on which Hiashi easily dodged. Time seemed to slow, and Ichigo noticed, in the corner of his eye, Hiashi pulling back his fist. He hit the ground in time to hear the Hyuuga Head cry: "Jyuuken: Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"

He struck at Ichigo with his palms outstretched; using such a speed that one would think the long-haired man had sixty-four hands instead of one. But at the moment of the first strike, the orange-haired boy disappeared, and instead of a sword, a log now dropped from his hands.

"Shit... A convincing _Kage Bunshin_ and a _Henge_... Who is this boy?" The mildly annoyed Hiashi muttered. It was as if-

"_GETSUGA TENSHO!" _Hiashi heard the boy before he saw him. He turned just in time to see a black crescent of pure energy coursing towards him. Instinctively, he held up his hands to defend and... caught it.

The boy dropped lightly to the ground. "You held back my _Getsuga Tensho_? Impressive." The wave of energy had not dispersed but, with a careless gesture of his sword, it disappeared. Chakra pulsed out of Hiashi's hands. The boy noted this.

_So... _Getsuga Tensho _can be blocked by chakra... Looks like next time I'll have to up the dosage_. Ichigo raised his hand. "_Chidori!" _He cried and, stabbing the sword into the ground, he _Shunshinned _forward, slamming a full power _Chidori _into the old man's face. He registered the surprise in Hiashi's eyes and was thrown backwards by the sheer force of Ichigo's strike.

_His Kenjutsu... Amazing... his Taijutsu... Amazing... his Ninjutsu... Amazing... _Hiashi thought as he was blown across the battlefield. Midway through, he reached out with his palms and flipped himself over, landing square on his feet. When he got up, he found that the boy was already behind him, a rapidly fading blur the only sign of his passage.

Ichigo smirked. Combining _Shunpo _with _Shunshin _had made him move amazingly fast. He could only wonder what would happen if he used this in junction with his Bankai... with his Hollow mask on... God – He might be able to move _faster than light_!

It was an amazing thought. He had known he was close to breaking the sound barrier with his last move, and as he slashed with his sword he puzzled over the question of why he was so powerful. He'd had little trouble beating Kakashi, and he was ex-ANBU. AND, a jounin. His immediate opponent was clearly above that rank, but Ichigo was barely trying – but still winning.

Hiashi blocked another precise, efficient sword slash and panted. Hardening his palms with chakra was wearing him out – but his opponent was breaking a sweat. He swore under his breath as he just _barely _ducked an incoming slash, only to see another, darker blade spinning towards him. It was shaped like the Hindu peace symbol, but with five prongs instead of four. The black energy within glowed, and Hiashi wondered if it was some form of modified _Getsuga Tensho_.

He had no time to think, no time to react- He just let the blade pass through his raised forearms. With a kind of numb exhaustion, he fell back unconscious, stumps spraying blood all over the ground. The edges of his vision faded to black...

-/-

Ichigo watched medic-nin carry the Hyuuga Head into the hospital on a stretcher. The Hokage was standing next to him, puffing on his pipe. They observed silently until the crowds emptied. Then the old man turned to Ichigo and shook his hand with a firm grip.

"Well done Kurosaki-kun. You've defeated the Main Branch Hyuuga Head all by yourself," Ichigo's new commander said. "You've earned clan head title..." There was a pause. Then the Hokage gave a wry smile. "The Kurosaki Clan – Has a nice ring to it, don't ya think?"

Ichigo nodded. He grinned, and the Hokage informed him that they were working to construct a compound for him, and that he would call a meeting of the Clan Heads. They would meet in the Town Hall tomorrow noon, so be prepared. The Hokage walked off, and watching him go, Ichigo got the strange feeling he was forgetting something...

-/-

"WHERE THE HELL IS KUROSAKI-SENSEI!" Cried the furious pinkette. Naruto was bashing his head against the bridge in frustration, and a small frown tugged at the normally impassive Sasuke Uchiha's forehead.

"Hi guys, sorry I'm-" Ichigo was cut off by his pink-haired genin student sending a punch at his face. He was tripped up and dropped onto the bridge, spitting out blood and a tooth. Immediately Naruto was sitting on his back, pinning his arms, and Sasuke was trapping his legs.

Sakura had grabbed him by the ears and was breathing flames. Almost literally. Ichigo sighed and _Kawarimi_-ed away, causing the three genin to be left holding a surprised and vicious rabbit in their hands.

After it had disappeared into the scrub, leaving in its wake three scratched and bruised children, Ichigo emerged. "YOU THREE...!... ... Pass 3." He smiled into their shocked faces, then proceeded to explain.

"Sakura, you surprised me with a punch that I was not ready to defend against. Almost instantly, Naruto was pinning my arms and preventing me from retrieving my sword. Sasuke was pinning my legs, thereby preventing me from getting up and using my height to my advantage. And Sakura distracted me with an infernal tirade of anger. If you had used that in co-operation with jutsu, and against a lower-ranked ninja, I most likely would've been dead."

The three genin once again gawped at him, mouths agape. He smiled wryly. "Go home. You start your new mission tomorrow. I've heard stories about this one... A mighty Tiger that rampages through the undergrowth, dodging shinobi and civilian alike. And if it is caught... Well, let's just say I wouldn't like to be you in that position."

Naruto glared at him. Sasuke glowered. Sakura fainted.

-/-

Once they were all healthy, Ichigo sat cross-legged with the three genin in front of him. He took a deep breath. He was going tell them today about his special abilities. And how he was going to give them to the trio. If they completed the mission successfully, then after the Clan Heads meeting at noon tomorrow he make them Substitute Shinigami.

"Alright kids, I'll admit I haven't been completely honest with you. One, when I first came to this village I wasn't a shinobi, and two, I was still more powerful than everyone in the village, excluding the Hokage." The pre-pubescent teens leaned in to hear his tale. They were a hooked. "I was a samurai of sorts. I had been granted incredible abilities, powers beyond belief – back where I came from, I had defeated hundreds of monsters, humans, ninja, Shinigami, and a being that had transcended God. I was a Soul Reaper.

"They are called different things in different places. Soul Reapers, Death Lords, Shinigami, even Gods of the Underworld. I was a Death God."

Naruto frowned. "Wait- you said that you were The Shinigami. When Yondaime sealed the Kyuubi in me, he used The Seal Of The Death God to ensure it wouldn't escape. Does that mean that you took his soul?"

Ichigo considered this. "There was news of a disturbance twelve years ago... But the man's soul became a civilian of the Rukongai. You see, there are many of us, and our job is to send good souls to Heaven, kill Hollows, and send truly evil souls to Hell. Anyway, he's dead now. There's no way to bring him back, and I doubt you'll see him again." He was being blunt.

Ichigo coughed before continuing. "Anyway, to give you an edge as Shinobi... You will be receiving Zanpakuto, Soul Cutters created from the essence of your very own chakra. I will teach you how to control your abilities, and, eventually, you may become as strong as me."

**Chapter 4 End.**

**Isn't it annoying when you're halfway through writing a chapter and suddenly you get ****4 3 2**** a new idea, and you abandon the chapter you're writing just to get it down? Yeah, I know the idea well. Don't worry, I'm not abandoning Kekkei Genkai, but the updates will be erratic, while I will attempt to make the uploads for Sensei Strawberry regular (Mostly).**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Sensei Strawberry**_

**Chapter 5**

The meeting of the Clan Heads went off without a hitch. They went through all the usual, formal rites, and there were no interruptions, though his seat in the usual place of the Uchiha clan was glaringly obvious. The Aburame clan were stoic as always though they regarded him with barely-concealed interest. The absence of Hiashi Hyuuga was also noted by the clan heads with curiosity, and perhaps a little smugness.

Ichigo replied to all the speeches of acceptance with the proper conduct. Later, when the meeting dispersed, He visited the Hokage to talk to him about his new grounds.

"Ichigo-san, I believe it would work out rather well if you would take the Uchiha family complex, but..." The Hokage hesitated.

"But what, Hokage-sama?"

"Your student, Sasuke, owns the Uchiha estate. And, considering the memories he has of it, I suppose he would be somewhat partial to it."

"Really..." Ichigo sweatdropped.

"Anyway... We can just go and present Sasuke-kun the papers and if he complies, then the grounds become the official Kurosaki estate."

So that was what they did. It was a few minutes' walk to Kurosaki's student's penthouse suite (Of course), in the most well-off area of the village. The citizens would give anything to their precious 'Last Uchiha'. Ichigo knew however, that the boy really didn't care. The kid was beginning to develop a mental illness that, while predictable, was also self-destructing and dangerous.

The boy had been overwhelmed by grief. Seeing all of his family killed like that probably short-circuited the kid's brain. He had needed an outlet for all that grief, so he blamed it on his brother. And rightfully so. The man had, after all, killed his family. He alienated the people around him in order to focus more on his studying. The boy needed a friend, and Naruto was the obvious choice.

When they knocked on Sasuke's door, they had to wait for a minute before he answered. He was covered in small burns, like he'd been playing with fire. Practicing Katon jutsu maybe? He gave them an irritated look.

"What do you want?" He said, his voice sullen and slightly angry.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun," said the Hokage, smiling brightly. "We're about the matter of turning over the Uchiha grounds to Kurosaki-san here. Of course, I would understand if you don't-"

"Take it." He growled gravely, snatching the papers from the Hokage's hands signing every single dotted line. The Hokage and Ichigo sweatdroppped at the same moment. The Hokage handed Ichigo some other papers and a pen, and Ichigo also signed on the dotted line.

"Well..." Hiruzen Sarutobi said quietly. He had obviously not expected things to go along this fast. "Ah... We will begin to work on restoring the Uchiha complex to its former glory, but for now, please remain in your apartment."

Ichigo nodded as the Hokage walked away, then looked down at Sasuke. "It's about time we head down to the meeting place now, so let's go."

Sasuke hn-ed. They walked in a companionable silence down to the meeting place, to find Naruto and Saskura already waiting there. Sakura's eyes lit up upon Sasuke's arrival. Ichigo smirked at his student's strangled groan, and then Naruto was there.

"Hey Kurosaki-sensei, why are you walking down with Sasuke-teme? Are we gonna go on a mission now? Is it an actual mission? What is it, what is it?"

Ichigo smiled evilly, and the three genin felt a shiver go down their backs.

-/-

"AAIIIIEEEEEEE! GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF! OH GOD WHY? WHAT DID I DO TO DESERVE THIS, KAMI-SAMAAAAAAA?"

Two genin and a jounin sensei watched an orange-clad blond shrieking and desparately attempting to subdue a cat. The three sweatdropped.

"Should- should we help him?" Sakura asked hesitantly. The others shrugged. She sighed and stepped forward tugging the cat off him and holding it by the scruff of it's neck.

"She really is something." Ichigo commented as they followed the pink-clad girl.

"Hn." Sasuke muttered.

-/-

After returning the cat and retrieving the reward, the four ninja walked down to their usual meeting place, training ground 14. There they sat, and Ichigo began explaining to them about Shinigami powers, Shikai, release phrases, Bankai, shunpo and that standing on the air ability he had.

They were in awe. Ichigo smirked and asked for a volunteer.

"OOH, OOH! PICK ME SENSEI!" Naruto cried out, lunging forward. Ichigo sidestepped, then hmmed. He looked over the three genin and eventually his eyes focussed on the only kunoichi of his team.

"Sakura." He said, and she gulped.

-/-

Activating a linked Jinzen hadn't been too hard; Sakura had just laid her hands on Zangetsu, and Ichigo had gone into Jinzen. Sure enough, they were now inside the familiar skyscraper, and the two were sitting as Zangetsu explained how to activate the pinkette's latent Shinigami abilities.

First, Ichigo needed a Soul Fragment – a memory of when something life-changing had happened, preferably when he was in Shinigami form. He would then gave this Fragment willingly to Sakura, and she would accept it. After incorporating it onto her own experiences, she would infuse the Fragment with chakra and, imagining it as detailed as possible, she would unlock personality-locked Shinigami abilities and awaken her powers.

This would, however, send her into a coma that would last exactly 24 hours, in order to fully acclimatise her to her new abilities. Ichigo asked her if she was willing to do this, and she immediately accepted. They visited her mindscape – a library with all her experiences and memories written along the side. Ichigo noticed that there were many photos of Sasuke hung up on the wall, and one of Naruto with the title 'FRIEND' under the ornate golden frame.

Eventually they reached Ground Zero – where Sakura's most potent memories were stored. Ichigo produced a memory – him finally fighting Grand Fisher – and created a book to store it in. The book was small and compact, and he fitted the tome in alongside a book labelled 'Finishing first D-Rank', and left her mindscape.

-/-

When they awoke from the shared Jinzen, Ichigo instructed her to do as Zangetsu had said, then turned back to the remaining troops in his team.

"PICK ME SENSEEEEEEEIIIIIII!" Naruto cried once more as Sakura fell into a coma. Ichigo quickly reassured him and Sasuke that this was meant to happen. Not that Sasuke seemed to care, though a slight frown tugged at his forehead.

After several minutes of Naruto begging for his turn to be next, Ichigo chose Sasuke, and they went into the shared Jinzen. After Zangetsu had explained the Soul Fragment to him, they had gone to Sasuke's mindscape, an apartment block with his memories sealed into cabinets, which in turn were stored in labelled rooms.

Ichigo had given him the Soul Fragment and he had stored the book in a room labelled 'Team Seven's Ventures'.

The he had left, and Sasuke too had visited the coma.

-/-

It was finally Naruto's turn. The boy did a little jig, then sat down and after the jinchuuriki had settled down, activated the shared Jinzen. It took slightly longer to explain the concept of Soul Fragments to the young boy, mostly because of his hyperactivity. But after Zangetsu finally got the kid to sit down listen, they went to Naruto's mindscape.

The kid's mind was a sewer. Literally. The water splashed up when Ichigo set his sandals down, and they started walking. There were a few turnoffs, but not many. In fact, the largest passage eventually led them to a dead end – the Kyuubi's cage.

The prison bars were thick and wide, but were the lock should be, there was a slip of paper with the kanji for seal on it. The Kyuubi lay there and rose when the two approached.

"**WHO ARE YOU?" **The beast roared. "**WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!"**

Ichigo got just a_ little _angry at that. The Kyuubi acted as if it owned the place – which it did not. This was Naruto's mind, the Kyuubi should be thankful that there weren't more punishment that Naruto had thought up.

"_**I AM ICHIGO KUROSAKI OF THE SHINIGAMI!" **_He bellowed right back, after pulling on his Hollow mask, going Bankai, and blasting the full power of his Reiatsu at the Kyuubi no Yoko. "_**AND YOU WILL SUBMIT TO ME!"**_

It wasn't a question. The Kyuubi was taken aback by the response, and seemed surprised that a human could conjure up such a yell. Ichigo had also noticed that the Kyuubi had visibly flinched when Ichigo had said the word 'Shinigami', and now seemed to reconsider his opinion towards Ichigo.

"**I SEE..." **The Kyuubi's voice had quietened somewhat, and they talked for a while about the behemoth's treatment towards Naruto before he was directed to the genin's memories. There were a bunch of manga volumes stuffed haphazardly onto a shelf. Ichigo generated the Soul Fragment and placed the compact black book at the end of the shelf before leaving Naruto's mindscape and the Jinzen.

He looked down at the sleeping kids, and sighed.

He really hadn't thought _that _one through.

-/-

The meeting the next day was delayed slightly. The Hokage had called Ichigo to his office and told him that the Uchiha grounds would be ready tomorrow. They'd talked a little more on his team and the new powers Ichigo was granting them, and they both agreed that the three would be very powerful in the future.

When the team finally met up, all three were in a slight daze. During their coma, they'd finally met their Zanpakuto, and had been told that they'd be awarded with their name soon enough.

Ichigo had sulked at that and moaned and grumbled a bit, but he stopped after a while and told them to draw their Zanpakuto. He'd stared at their weapons for a while.

Sakura's blade was a long, thin katana. It was a natural black and white, but the handle was a bubblegum pink. She'd found the blade quite easy to throw around and use, though she was quite clumsy with it.

Sasuke's blade was peculiar.

At first glance, it could be mistaken for a tightly wound fox's tail. At second glance, you would be able to see the segments in the blade, where three different parts of metal connected. At third glance, you'd be able to recognise teardrop shapes, like... tomoe. Apparently Sasuke's Sharingan bloodline carried over to his Zanpakuto, which would mean they would have similar abilities, his eyes and his blade.

When Ichigo saw Naruto's blade, he was shocked.

He'd realised that the boy's sword would be in Shikai mode, much like his own, and that the Kyuubi would have something to do with the boy's Zanpakuto, but... This felt a little like over kill. The boy had an ornate hilt, with the hand-guard made up of interlocking nines. The handle itself was a burnt orange colour with a pure white end.

The blade was a violent red colour, again with a pure white tip. The blade had jagged spikes along each side, which blazed with an undercurrent of flame. There were four vaguely tail-shaped spikes along each side, and Ichigo assumed that the tip was the ninth. All of the spikes pointed inwards, towards the hilt, but none of that was the strangest thing.

The strangest thing was that the blade seemed completely free of the usual constranints a solid had. That is to say, it moved. Like- like a tail, in fact. The whole thing seemed to point towards foxes and Bijuu, which was slightly surprising – Ichigo had thought that there would be an element of Naruto in his blade. Even though his soul and the Kyuubi's were intrinsically linked, he'd thought there would be a bit more freedom.

Heck, maybe there was. Who knows, Naruto's natural summon might be a fox, which wouldn't exactly surprise the carrot-top, what with the boy's prankster nature. The Ichigo smirked. What would the villagers think? Maybe that the fox was escaping? That would be a funny scenario to observe.

And with that thought, he noticed the size of the boy's sword. It was huge, about one and half times the size of him. Slowly Ichigo looked down at his three genin. They would be powerful ninja indeed.

Except maybe for Sakura. She didn't look exactly special.

**End Chapter 5**

**Sorry for the lateness, I wanted to get Vengeful out, which I have an actual plan for now, and Dragonborn is just a venture into the Elder Scrolls games. **

**Other than that, please review. **


	6. Chapter 6

_**Sensei Strawberry**_

**Chapter 6**

"Now, Ichigo's Team 7's next duty is... Babysitting, shopping, and potato digging." Sarutobi concluded with a smile. He knew that by now the Genin team were desperate for a better mission. After several months of D-Ranks they were bound to be going a little stir-crazy.

"NONONONONONO!" Naruto yelled angrily. The point of the giant sword strapped to his back danced with each 'NO'. It was kind of mesmerising. "C'mon, old man! Give us a better mission, one with actual fights! We're strong now, we can deal with it!"

Iruka jumped up, furious. "BAKA! You're just a Genin, you have to start at the bottom and work your way up! You don't start with A-Ranked missions!"

Naruto scowled and looked like he was about start up another Tirade, with a capital T, but Ichigo whacked him on the head and stepped forward. "Time for you to shut up now, little kunai." He called them that not only because they had Zanpakuto, but to remind them that they needed to serve as weapons to the village – not just people, loyal Shinobi. "But the gaki's right, my kid's are strong enough for a C-Rank. Hokage-sama, why don't you give them one?"

Iruka backed down a little, but Sarutobi's smile widened. "Very well. In fact, I have just the mission in mind. Tazuna-san, you may enter now."

A drunk, middle-aged man with a bottle of sake in his hand and a large backpack slung over his shoulders walked in.

"What's this? They're all a bunch of super-brats." He said, taking a gulp of sake. "Especially the shortest one with the stupid-looking face and the big-ass sword."

Naruto's eyes narrowed. He looked carefully at Sakura and the katana belted to her side, then at Sasuke with the wide sword and sheath strung horizontally at his back, then looked up at the hilt of his sword, towering above him.

"Hey! My sword is a measure of how strong I am, which means I'm the strongest of our team!" He yelled. His sword was even about equal in size to Ichigo's own, which annoyed the carrot-top almost as much as being called carrot-top. Almost. "BOO-YAH!"

The man raised an eyebrow and scratched at his beard, dislodging a fly. Sakura wrinkled her nose in disgust. The smell of alcohol lay thick and heavy over him, and it was dis-gus-TING. She hoped they wouldn't have to get too close during this mission. Dimly she heard them talking in the background, and then it was off home to pack. Sakura greeted her mum and told her that they were leaving on a mission for a while. They celebrated with a big meal, and Akahana Haruno, her mother, helped her pack.

-/-

They arrived at the gate the next day, and Sakura was too busy flirting with – well, fawning over really – Sasuke to really notice Naruto and Tazuna's yells, Ichigo noted with interest. He yawned and winced as Naruto yelled again. Despite his dedication to missions, last night he'd let Kurenai take him to the Copper Kunai, a ninja-only bar. _And _she'd brought her crazy friend Anko, and when he woke the next morning he had been tied to the roof of Anko's house with his sword beside him. Naked. He didn't even **want **to remember last night's events.

"This all very interesting," He said dryly, interrupting Naruto's and Tazuna's conversation, "But y'know, we got places to go, people to see..."

Naruto broke off and gave a yell. "YA-HOO! I'm finally leaving the village! This is so exciting!"

Ichigo sweatdropped, and then they were off.

-/-

A little while later, when they had gotten most of the journey done and now were completely in Wave Country, Sakura had started talking to Tazuna. They were questions like, 'What's the economy in wave like?', or 'What do you intend to do with this bridge?'. Indeed, they were harmless little questions, but Tazuna was getting noticeably more agitated and worried.

Eventually they came across a puddle in the middle of the road. _A puddle? _He thought, confused. _It hasn't rained here for days..._

Then it struck him. This puddle was a deception. A hiding place for a ninja to initiate a surprise attack. He flicked his fingers at Naruto and Sasuke. _ATTACKERS HIDING PUDDLE UNKNOWN SKILL LEVEL MANJI FORMATION INFORM TEAMMATE PROTECT CLIENT._

As Naruto and Sasuke drifted into position, flicking their own fingers readily, if a little unsteadily, at Sakura, Ichigo prepared himself for a quick Kawarimi with a genjustsu he'd been working on. He called 'Honesty of the Mind', as it projected whatever the person under the illusion expected to see, where they expected it to be. A more battle-ready version had been created, and he'd only really tweaked an old genjutsu that wouldn't be effective nowadays, but still. It would serve its purpose.

When Ichigo passed over the puddle, he felt the activation of chakra that meant a seal was being used. He had time to think '_clever' _before he was ripped to shreds.

Naruto was the first to act, creating two Shadow Clones, sans swords, and drawing his Zanpakuto. The clones charged forward, and Uchiha Sasuke remembered that he could fight too. The clones leapt and were easily destroyed by the two men. Naruto leapt in and struck with his sword. The man used his chain to block out, but the free movement of his sword curled around the chain and attempted to cut his face.

The man backed off, and Naruto darted in, holding his body low and his sword horizontal to his side. The man jumped through several hand-seals, and his mouth swelled. A shot of water blasted out of his mouth, and Naruto used the flat of his blade to block it. The water sizzled as it burst. Then Naruto was in low, and the sword was arcing up into the man's throat. The kunai he'd attempted to use as a block was easily dodged around, and the man's severed head fell to the ground as the body stumbled and fell.

Naruto stepped back and fell flat on his butt, shocked by the blood trickling lazily from his neck. He shuddered. _I did that,_ he thought, and vomited onto the floor next to the body. Ichigo, watching from on high nodded and shook his head. _I don't believe this. _He thought. _These are the Demon Brothers... I think... _He hadn't had time to brush up on his bingo book baddies, but he was pretty sure.

Sasuke, meanwhile, had yet to draw his sword, and was dodging the various kunai and Water Bullet techniques being thrown around. He was, in retaliation, using kunai and shuriken in an attempt to skewer his opponent. It wasn't very effective, judging by the weapons strewn along the path.

Ichigo squinted. Was that ninja wire? Of course... The Phoenix Web Technique **(1)**. Even as Ichigo watched, Sasuke took a deep breath and exhaled a gout of flame, which the Demon Brother easily dodged... Until the wire around him caught alight, and he was surrounded by a web of flame. With no way to move without being burnt, Sasuke finished it off with his blade, a downward strike that bisected the man from shoulder to waist.

Ichigo dropped down and Naruto leapt up cheering. He then promptly sat down again and retched. Even Sasuke looked pale, but he managed a hesitant, disinterested 'Hn'. Sakura was also pale, and she looked like she might be sick. Ichigo surveyed them, and then gave orders.

"Sasuke, Naruto, get firewood. Sakura, set up camp. Tazuna... Sit down." He said stonily, and the three nodded before going about their appointed duties. Ichigo grabbed two storage scrolls, and sealed the bodies inside. Hopefully Sarutobi could get the bounty off of these bodies when they went back – and Ichigo was inclined to make that sooner rather than later. He walked over to Tazuna. They needed to talk.

-/-

"Alright, alright, let's put it to a vote." Ichigo said. He was tired of this conversation. Although it was a great team-building exercise, they'd been arguing for almost an hour now.

"Who votes we carry on with the mission?" He asked. All three team members raised their hands. Ichigo rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. We continue. But from now on, you do what I say, when I say it. Agreed?"

The three nodded, and they continued.

-/-

"Wave Country is close to the bridge," Ichigo told his team. "We'll be there soon."

The bridge was big, very big. Naruto let out an exclamation of surprise, and Sakura gazed on in awe. Sasuke 'hnned' and went back to cleaning his sword. They disembarked at a run-down port, and the driver sailed off. They walked along in an uneasy silence. And was it just Ichigo, or did Naruto seem extra-alert?

Suddenly, Naruto was throwing a shuriken in a curved path, arcing behind a bush. When Naruto went investigate, after Sakura had given him a severe scolding, Naruto found a snow-white rabbit. Ichigo observed it distantly. _A white coat? _Ichigo wondered, slightly confused. _It's spring... That's a winter rabbit... Of course! _They were already... The missing-nin hired by Gatou.

We have to be on guard. He flicked his fingers at Naruto,, Sasuke, and Sakura. They confirmed it by curling their fingers into the Rat Seal, for confirmation, then slowly drifted into a loose triangle around Tazuna.

Zabuza was worried. There was an unknown compromising his plan, and with that bigass sword, he'd have little-to no trouble against Kubikiri Houcho. He calmed himself with a furrowing of his brow. Just continue with the plan as normal.

SKWUP. The sound of a branch bending and the barely concealed WHOOSH of air gave Ichigo pause, and he yelled for his team to duck. Only years of advanced reflexes saved them, Tazuna being sent to the ground with a hasty shove from Sakura. The sword whistled over his head, spinning like a top, and thunked into the trunk of a tree and sticking halfway in. Zabuza Momochi landed on top of it.

Ichigo drew his sword and stepped into a ready stance. Naruto's sword had leapt into his hand, the blade whipping agitatedly around his face. Sasuke's blade was held loosely in his right hand, the blade trailing the floor. Sakura was holding her steel by the side of her face, the point at her lips. The carrot-top had to admit, they looked pretty badass.

"Zabuza Momochi... The Demon of The Hidden Mist. You're pretty good... But can you defeat me?" Ichigo grinned.

Zabuza narrowed his eyes. "That's my line... brat." Ichigo scowled, but before he could attack, Zabuza was gone, and there were ripples spreading out over the water. "Get back, protect the client... That's what he really wants." Ichigo said tersely.

"There he is!" Sakura gasped. But as soon as she saw him, he was gone. Mist began spreading out over the area, blanketing the clearing in a thick haze.

"Keep a loouk out, guys... Zabuza is an expert in silent killing. You wouldn't know he's there unless you were already dead. And I'm no detection specialist. Be careful."

"_Eight choices..." _A disembodied voice whispered out of the mist. Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke gasped, and Ichigo tightened the grip on his sword. _"Liver, lungs, spine, clavical vein, jugular vein, brain, kidneys, heart..." _The voice came again.

"_Which one should I choose?" _The voice chuckled. Killing Intent began rolling off the mist in waves, stunning the three genin and their client. Sasuke took a step back and winced.

_This KI... It's so intense... I almost want to die... _But before he could finish that thought, a voice echoed from within. _Sasuke. Do not be afraid. I will aid you. _A rush of strength followed the growling bass tones of the voice. _W-Who are you? _Sasuke asked. _I am your Zanpakuto... Tsubasharin. _

Ichigo noticed Sasuke stagger, and wince, then straighten, as if energised. He nodded to him in approval. This was good. This was very good.

Soon the fight between Ichigo Kurosaki and Zabuza Momochi would begin.

**End Chapter.**

**Sorry for the long wait, I really have no excuse. Thanks for reading.**


	7. Chapter 7

_**Sensei Strawberry**_

**Chapter 7**

Sasuke froze as he heard the echo of the voice fade into his mind. _Tsubasharin... _He instinctively knew that it meant Bladed Wheel. "Sensei..." He rasped. "Something's... happening..." He could feel his consciousness fading, and before he knew what was happening, his vision was fading into black. The last thing he saw was Sakura frantically fretting over him, and Naruto glaring around, his sword glowing.

-/-

"Sasuke." A voice said. "Sasuke!" It repeated more urgently. "Wake up!" His eyes snapped open and he leapt up, spinning around and snapping out a kick. It was met by something solid and he fell back. His eyes snapped up, and he saw someone... A man?

"Sasuke. You must be wondering why you are here." Sasuke nodded. The man was tall, with thick, corded muscle and a clean-shaven head. He was kitted out in full chunin flak jacket, fishnet vest and billowing ninja trousers. He was the epitome of a perfect ninja. "I am your Zanpakuto." Sasuke's eyes widened. He jumped up, eager this time, but again the man batted him down.

"Stay... Down..." He said through gritted teeth. "You have heard my name."

"Ts..." What the hell? "Ts..." Why couldn't he say it? What was going on?

The man smiled. Tsubasharin. "You have heard my name, yet you do not understand what it means."

"Bl..." Again, he couldn't say anything! What the fuck was going on?

"Even that, you cannot say." The man smiled thinly. His voice was a deep baritone, gravelly and commanding.

"Very well. We shall do battle until you understand." With that, he picked up Sasuke and threw him off the building.

-/-

Ichigo was tense. He'd been having difficulty tracing the man's Reiatsu- chakra, _chakra- _through all the chakra-infused mist, but he'd finally located a small, faint blip of energy, that he reckoned was Zabuza, but it was hard to tell.

Moving as quickly as he dared, trying not to give away his position, he sprinted towards the source and swung his sword around. Just in time, the source of chakra came into view, materializing as Zabuza. He spun around, just in time to catch Zangetsu to the face.

The water clone broke apart and splashed into water. Ichigo cursed and spun around, already preparing a getsuga-

The two weapons clashed together. Ichigo glared at Zabuza. Zabuza glared right back. They spun away, and then danced back in, and the weapons clashed once more. Ichigo tried to slide his blade down the length of his opponent's sword, but Zabuza leant to the side and angled up, negating the attack. Ichigo spun around, ducking low to avoid Zabuza's overhead strike and going for his legs.

Zabuza jumped over the attack, and was vulnerable in mid-air. Ichigo turned his momentum into a charge and slammed his shoulder into Zabuza's gut. The swordsman responded by slamming a kunai into his back. The shadow clone dispelled, leaving behind only a small piece of paper which, upon closer examination, was revealed to be an explosive note.

It detonated, and the Kiri defector's water clone was dispelled. Ichigo observed the fight and cursed, wondering where the real one was. He wove an illusion around himself and darted into the field, prepared to bring up a Mud Wall if he was taken by surprise. Instead, though, the swordsman from Kiri strode boldly into the open, gazing around to try and find him. Eventually, he growled and focussed chakra through a strange hand-sign, and yelled, "Release!"

The genjutsu around Ichigo shattered and Zabuza whipped around instantly, using _shunshin _to get in close and surprise him. The orange-haired shinigami was ready, however, and immediately used a more potent_ shunpo _to get away. Zabuza cancelled the short-range teleportation technique, and for a split second, was disoriented. In combat however, a split second can be an eternity. Ichigo darted in, prepared to end it.

He swung Zangetsu in a low, short arc, intending to achieve a diagonal cut across the legs in order to disable him. Zabuza, however, wasn't one of the seven swordsmen for nothing. He planted his sword in the hard dirt and turned Ichigo's swing away, hoping to put him off balance. Instead, Ichigo took his right hand off his sword and punched Zabuza in the face.

He flew out over the water and bounced across the top, barely breaking the surface tension. Zabuza stood up unsteadily, sinking slightly before reinforcing the chakra flowing through his feet. He shakes his head and begins to form shaky hand seals.

"You shouldn't have done that," he called out. "I have the advantage now!"

Whatever that advantage was, Ichigo wasn't about to let him have it. He charged towards the nukenin, preparing a Getsuga Tensho, when Zabuza finished his hand seals.

"Suiton: Water Dragon Blast!" Zabuza called out, and Ichigo's eyes widened. The jet of water blasted him with all the force he imagined his Getsuga had, and the orange-haired jonin was washed away.

"Dammit," Ichigo muttered. "This guy… Is he more powerful than that Kakashi?"

However powerful he was, Ichigo didn't want to activate his Bankai. He should have had no trouble with this guy – most ninja were no problem for a Soul Reaper, because there were definitely other Shinigami that could defeat him, and he seemed to be pretty powerful in this world – and yet he didn't see any other way to beat him.

Fine.

"Well, I didn't want to have to do this, but…" Ichigo held out his sword and readied himself. "**BANKAI: TENSA ZANGETSU!**"

The clearing was suddenly flooded with Reiatsu, or as the ninja would have put it; Killing Intent. Naruto and Sakura fell to their knees, gasping and clutching their throats. Tazuna, who had been staring in awe, now collapsed, desperately trying to alleviate the pressure on his windpipe. Even Zabuza stumbled and had difficulty standing.

Ichigo shrugged. It wasn't like this fight would go on much longer, anyway. He moved forward, so fast that he was little more than a blur, and slammed the flat of his blade against the side of his head. It wasn't like he felt compassion for the man, but he needed to be taken in for questioning. Plus, the bounty on the missing-nin was twice as much if he was brought in alive rather than dead.

Zabuza fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, and Ichigo bent down to grab him-

FWOOT! FWOOT!

Senbon were flung into the missing-nin's neck, and Ichigo stumbled back, surprised. He looked up in time to see a hunter-nin descend from the trees. He inclined his head towards the orange-haired boy, and Ichigo deactivated his Bankai.

"I thank you, ninja-san, for your help in the retrieval of Zabuza Momochi." With that the hunter-nin vanished.

Cautiously, Naruto and Sakura came forward, along with Sasuke's limp form. Ichigo instantly analysed the situation and snapped out orders. "Tazuna, my student is going through a situation with his powers, and he requires assistance. Lead us the rest of the way to your house as fast as possible. And," here he winced slightly. "I apologise for endangering you with my Killing Intent."

Tazuna nodded and started jogging in the direction of his daughter's house, inwardly shocked. Could that man's sheer Killing Intent actually kill you? Was he really that powerful? Tazuna was glad that this ninja slash swordsman was really on his side.

-/-

Once at Tsunami's house, he took Sasuke into the living room and laid Sasuke's sword across his knees. He then calmly sat down and gestured for the Naruto and Sakura sit in a circle with him and Sasuke. After they had obeyed and sat down, he took and deep breath and considered how to approach this.

"Sasuke," he began, "is in a state called 'Jinzen'. In this state, he is able to communicate with his Zanpakuto and, hopefully, attain Shikai. Unfortunately, there is no way of knowing when he will wake up, or what his Shikai will be. So until Sasuke wakes up, we will train endlessly."

Naruto hesitantly raised his hand, and Ichigo nodded at him. "Uh… Sensei, who was that guy who killed Zabuza?" Naruto asked. "And why did he stop you from killing him?"

Ichigo actually thought before answering him. "That's a good question, Naruto…" He thought for a moment. "Well, I originally thought that he was a hunter-nin, but you are right, it seems suspicious that he attacked before I could, and that he killed him with senbon…" Ichigo paled.

"What? What is it, sensei?" Sakura asked worriedly.

"I…" Ichigo was annoyed now. "There are certain places that skilled senbon users can stimulate in order to induce a state similar to death. In this state, the receiver can be awakened, although it would be about a week before he or she could be back to full strength again. To be safe, we should assume that Zabuza is not dead, and that the 'hunter-nin' is currently allied to him."

Ichigo stood. "Alright, come with me." The three went outside and walked a short distance to a wooded clearing. "The first thing I am going to teach you two is sword fighting."

He brought his sword up into a ready stance. "Now Sakura, unfortunately, mine and Naruto's weapons are completely different from your weapon. Therefore, I will be giving Naruto first one-on-one lessons, and then attempt to give you some pointers. When we get back to Konoha I will be able to arrange a full-time teacher for you, but until then, you will have to be satisfied with this."

With that, he sheathed Zangetsu and walked up the sides of a nearby tree. His students stared at him with a mixture of awe and shock. He smiled silently, and then walked back down.

"Sakura, you will learn this, as not only does it improve chakra control, but also very minimally, chakra capacity. You will practise until you master it, and then you will sit on the ceiling above Sasuke and attempt to reach Jinzen. Hopefully, you will be able to increase your capacity and talk with your Zanpakuto at the same time."

Sakura nodded, and then walked over to a tree. After experimentally placing her foot on the tree and removing it again, she walked all the way to the top. Ichigo was pleasantly surprised. "Well done Sakura, you mastered it immediately. Now, go sit with Sasuke and continue your training."

Ichigo turned back to Naruto. "I want you to attack with all your strength. Remember, come at me with intent to kill, or you won't even touch me."

Naruto nodded, then charged. He brought his sword up in a low arc, and attempted to use the twisting tail of the blade to gut Ichigo. The strawberry-haired Death God turned his attack away easily, and hit him with the hilt of the blade.

"Naruto, we are shinobi. As such, we do not need to use only the blade of our weapon. We can use the hilt, the flat, the edge, the back… Anything."

Naruto nodded more firmly this time, and came at him again.

-/-

Sasuke growled and panted heavily. His clothing was scorched torn, he had numerous cuts and bruises, and he was heavily favouring his left arm and leg, but he stood defiantly in front of Tsubasharin. The tall man smirked at him.

"It seems that you have finally completed your training. You have reached the necessary level in order to wield me in battle. However," Tsubasharin paused, and his eyes seemed to _pulse_. "This is not it. The next level of power is Bankai – and as you may have guessed, you must also reach the next tier of the Sharingan in order to access its power."

His weapon laughed, then conjured Sasuke's Zanpakuto out of nowhere. He passed to Sasuke. "Wield me well, youngling."

With that, he pushed Sasuke off the edge of the building. To the raven-haired boys credit, he didn't even scream.

-/-

Rukia sprinted through the Dangai, desperate to reach the other side, where she presumed Ichigo resided – the human world. However, she was worried. Not to mention scared. The Kototsu had gone wild, and was charging after her like a raging bull. To make matters worse – she couldn't find the exit. In fact, so far she'd been avoiding entering the rifts in the material that made up this dimension, but soon, she'd have to step through one.

Rukia glanced behind her. The beast was closing in fast. She swore in a manner not befitting of a Kuchiki – and jumped through the rift.

She must have blacked out slightly on arrival, because when she opened her eyes, she saw only desert. Desert, and four people.

The first was dressed up like a Kabuki actor, and had what appeared to be a body strapped to his back. The second was blond and had a giant fan strapped to her back. The third appeared to be the commander of the three, but it was the fourth that scared her. He had red hair and a large gourd strapped to his back, but his eyes scared her.

They were the same eyes of the thing she most feared.

Ichigos Hollow.

-/-

**Well, it's been a long time, and I really have no excuse, so I won't offer one. Thanks to everyone that reviewed, favourite and followed, and please keep doing so.**

**I've also gone back and edited Chapter 2, so you can go back and check that if you get the time.**


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